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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26129908">understanding</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/roraruu/pseuds/roraruu'>roraruu</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Father’s Daughter [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Fire Emblem Echoes: Mou Hitori no Eiyuu Ou | Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Background Relationships, Crests (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), Crossover, F/M, Family Drama, Pre-Canon</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 09:20:58</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>961</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26129908</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/roraruu/pseuds/roraruu</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Marianne is five when she asks if her father loves her. Python never gives her an answer.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Python/Silque (Fire Emblem)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Father’s Daughter [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1897369</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>understanding</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/shadowdance/gifts">oceanics (shadowdance)</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is the weirdest crap I’ve written but whatever! Whatever! The world is a goddamn dumpster fire and I’m writing what i want y’all can read it if you wanna.<br/>First: marianne is the forbiddenship kid, not berkut/rinea kid bc this is my au and i get to decide all the stupid shit that happens.<br/>Second: Python carries the crest of the beast bc i said so.<br/>Third: any questions harass me on twitter @aroraboringalis or yell me on my fic blog @ roraruu.tumblr.com/ask where there’s more of this crap<br/>I’m so sorry y’all clicked on this</p><p>as always, thank you for reading ❤︎ ❤︎ ❤︎</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Marianne is five when she first asks if her father still loves her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He has just returned from his last change into a beast. Silque is making dinner in the kitchen, too distracted by his rushed return to pay them any attention. In her mind, her lover has returned and is in stable health and good condition: nothing occupies her now except for the thought of comforting him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But Marianne isn’t so easily distracted by his return. Instead, she is consumed with him. She stares at her father with wide eyes and a furrowed brow.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He stares back at her from his spot by the hearth. It’s the only place he can feel comfortable at the moment. His bones are frozen from the wind and rain. And the hearth has a thick rug that feels good on his aching back. Silque had suggested the kitchen table, so that they may dine like a true family, but his legs and back are too sore and unused to being used. It feels better to lie down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Silque chastised Marianne to go to her father, to greet him after his week goneinto the woods. Which is always said as a wellness trip; her mother preaches that nature is good for the heart and soul and that her father is very sickly, so he must retreat into nature often. But instead, she sits on her stool with her plush horse in her lap. It’s old and worn, most certainly a free item from the church that Silque works at. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Almost an hour has gone past since he arrived and Silque set to work making supper. It should be ready at any moment. And in that hour’s time, Marianne has not moved an inch from her stool. She almost looks like a little statue cherub from a church. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Python has done the bare minimum of rolling on his side to look at Marianne. That’s all he could muster in that hour’s span. He figures that he must look like some sort of beast, curled up on this old rug. His hair is greasy and shaggy, having overgrown in the last few days of travel. And he can feel the itch of facial hair growing along his jaw.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He stares at his daughter. She stares at her father. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There’s so much of Silque in her. But looking at her little face in the firelight, how her posture slumps and how she looks tired, Python sees a little bit of himself in her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you love me Papa?” Marianne asks at last.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Python’s brow crinkles. He pushed himself up onto his elbow. “What’s that Mari?” He slurs.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you love me?” She asks, her voice a little louder.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why’d ya ask that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Because you keep leaving me and Mama.” Marianne says simply. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Python remembers this conversation with Silque. Back in the Monastery, when he kept disappearing on her. Before her song. Before he realized that she could calm the beast inside. It hurt so much less with her, but with Marianne is burns his heart. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She couldn’t understand. At least, for now. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He wants to tell her that he can’t help it. That this is beyond his control, beyond anything he can do for her, for him. How can he make a child understand that if he could stop this; if he could swallow back the sour bile in his throat, if he could stop the scales crusting over his skin, if he could stop beast inside that longs to come out and trample the woods of Leicester.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Silque was understanding and calm when he had told her. She had swallowed back all emotion and held her tongue until he had finished his winded speech about how he may not ever be able to be the person she deserved.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>(And he remembers how she had leaned closer, kissed him ever so softly and said that he was the person she needed.)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But Marianne isn’t Silque. She’s just a child, </span>
  <em>
    <span>his</span>
  </em>
  <span> child, who doesn’t even know that she’s carrying the same damned Crest.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I do kiddo.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then why do you keep going?”</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Because I’m part monster.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Python thinks. But he can’t tell her that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mama says you’re sick, but if you’re that sick, she can heal you can’t she?” Marianne asks. Her little brow crinkles in thought. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Python sits up and brings himself closer to Marianne. She stares at him blankly, as though he’s a ghost.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s not the sorta thing your Ma can fix.” Python says.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then see a doctor?” She says. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I...” Python hesitates. “I do, kiddo. I am.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then will you try to stay more?” Marianne asks. “Mama is always sad when you go. And the birds are too. They don’t sing as much. I asked them to sing their favourite songs too, but they’re quiet.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Python sits up. His body aches with every moment. “What about you Marianne?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Her wide eyes find him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you miss me when I’m gone?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Marianne bows her head a little so that her waif-like bangs hide her eyes. Slowly, her head bobs in a nod as she holds her plush horse tight and then drops it. In the blink of an eye, she moves into her father’s arms and holds him as tight as she can.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Python feels a pit form in his stomach. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You don’t love me. Do you?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The words lodge in his throat. He can’t swallow them back, nor can he say them out loud. It’s a jumble of, ‘</span>
  <em>
    <span>course I do kiddo</span>
  </em>
  <span> and </span>
  <em>
    <span>You wouldn’t get it, Mari</span>
  </em>
  <span> and apologies. Goddess, there are so many apologies in this throat that he could choke on the word </span>
  <em>
    <span>thank you</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He holds her tight. Silque calls that dinner is ready. Outside, the birds begin to sing loudly. </span>
</p>
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